The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired coach Craig Berube after two seasons, the team announced on Wednesday. The decision represents another major change for the franchise as it shifts gears after snapping a nine-season playoff streak.
This move comes shortly after the Maple Leafs introduced John Chayka as their next general manager. In his introductory press conference, Chayka was non-committal about Berube's future, but the team is now getting a clean slate in the front office and behind the bench.
Statement from John Chayka
"Craig is a tremendous coach and an even better person," Chayka said in a statement. "This decision is more reflective of an organizational shift and an opportunity for a fresh start than it is an evaluation of Craig. We are grateful for his leadership, professionalism and commitment to the Maple Leafs organization and wish Craig and his family nothing but the best moving forward."
Berube's Tenure in Toronto
Former Toronto general manager Brad Treliving hired Berube in 2024. In his first season with the Leafs, Berube led the team to the second round of the postseason before losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games.
This past season, with injuries and age playing a factor, the Maple Leafs took a noticeable step back. They went 32-36-14 and finished 15th in the Eastern Conference, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Berube exits Toronto with an overall record of 84-62-18 as the Maple Leafs only seemed to regress under his leadership.
Performance Decline Under Berube
In the five seasons prior to Berube's arrival, the Maple Leafs were led by Sheldon Keefe. While the underlying processes were often good under Keefe, the postseason results never came. Toronto advanced past the first round once in 2023 before getting dispatched by the Panthers in five games.
The theory behind hiring Berube was that a Stanley Cup champion coach would maximize the roster when it mattered most. Although the Leafs came within one win of reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2025, their underlying numbers completely cratered under Berube.
Under Keefe, the Leafs were typically a very strong five-on-five team. After Berube was hired, those underlying numbers slipped considerably in his first season before collapsing entirely in 2025-26.
Production Issues for Key Players
Another concerning trend of the Berube era was the waning production of the Maple Leafs' best players, especially Auston Matthews. After leading the NHL with 69 goals in 2023-24, Matthews didn't score at anywhere near that pace under Berube.
Injuries played a role in that, forcing Matthews to miss 37 games combined over the last two seasons. He still scored just 60 goals in 127 games, which was a clear dip from his career pace of 0.62 goals per game.
Matthew Knies, who did break out in Berube's first season with the Leafs, was a significant disappointment in 2025-26. After tallying 29 goals in 2024-25, Knies posted only 23 goals in 2025-26 and a minus-14 goal differential at five-on-five.
Critical Decisions Ahead for Chayka
Less than two weeks into the job, Chayka is faced with two decisions that will define his tenure in Toronto. The first is what he will do with the No. 1 overall pick after Toronto won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery, and now he must hire a new coach based on his vision of the future.
At the center of those decisions is the future of Matthews, who has two years left on his deal at $13.25 million per season. Matthews hasn't said anything about wanting out of Toronto, but The Athletic has reported that the clock may be ticking on his time in Toronto.